Two-way full-stroke device for key-levers.



PATENZI'ED JAN. 21-, 1908.

H. HANSON. TWO WAY FULL STROKE DEVICE FOR KEY LBVERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12.1907.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

19mm flmson 'Z/p'zzmw I No. 876,959. PAIENTED JAN. 21, 1908.

4 H. HANSON.

TWO WAY FULL STROKE DEVICE-FOR KEY LBVERS.

.AIPl-"LIOATION FILED AUG-12.1907.

2 SHEETS-BHEBT 2.

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HANS HANSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

' TWO-WAY FULL-STROKE nsvrcn roe KEY-LEVERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21,1908.

Application filed August 12.1907. Serial No. 888.177.

To all whom" it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS HANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county, of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Two-Way Full-v Stroke Devices for Key-Levers ,and I do herebydeclare the following .to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which directly from the key levers or by other parts called into action by the manipulation of the key levers, and which secondary devices must complete their work before the direc-. tion of the keys motion can be reversed. Such conditions arise-in some forms of com puting machines or combined typewriters and computing machines, for which usage my present invention was especially designed.

To the ends above noted, my invention-consists .of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described anddefined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated the g0Ci){m an 'n drawin s as a lie to -t e e inech ari ism of the well khown Underwood typewriter. i n said drawings, like notations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation illustrating the key actionof an Underwood typewriter, with my two-way full stroke device embodied therein. Fi 2 is adetail of some of the arts shown in ig. 1,.but on a lar or scale. ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, ut with the parts shown in a different position and Fig. 4 is another view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but with the parts in still a difierent position.

The numeral 1 represents the framework of an ordinary Underwood t pewriter; the numeral 2 the spring held ey lever; the numeral 4 the type bar the numeral 3 the pivoted bell crank lever connecting the parts ,headsof the awl levers 8 are connected by position, or as shown in 1 of the draw shown in Fig. 1..

2 and {with the pivotal and'sliding' joints peculiar to this machine. The platen roller 5 is shown in diagram bydoltted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The numeral 6 repre sents the cushioned sto on which the type bar 4 rests when in its idl e'cr-nonnalposition,

as shown in Fig. 1.

Having regard now to my improvement, I provide as an element thereof, a tw'o-wa or double-faced ratchet 7 secured to one o the profile faces of each key lever .2. For--coop-- eration with'the ratchet 7, I provide a pivoted pawl lever 8 having-at its lower ends. rhomb shaped pawl 9 fixed thereto, the opposite points 0 which are adapted to engage with the opposite faces of the double ratchet 7 in the opposite directions of the keylevers travel. As shown, there is fixed to 'theframework of the typewriter, pawl hangers 10 with upper and lower forwardly projecting lugs,

' to the lower of which lugs the pawl levers 8 are pivoted by screws 11, or any other suitable .way, and to the upper of which lugs the springs 12. he pivots 11, the points of attachment of the spring 12, and the pawl piece 9' are substantially in line with each other, when the pawl lever isin its normal mgs. The spring 12 thereforejtends always to bring the pawl lever 8 into the position The pawl lever 8 hangs directly alongside of the profile face of the key lever 2, and in such position that its pawl 9 will be in the path of the head of the ratchet 7. The length of-the ratchet 7 is such, relative to the stroke of thelever 2, that the pawl will clear the ratchet, in each direction of the 'keys movement, at the extreme limits thereof onl When the parts are in their normaLor id e position, shownin Fig. 2, the ratchet 7 on the key lever stands directly below and in the path ofthe pawl 9, and the opposite ends or heads of the ratchet 7 are reversely rounded or made of the proper shape to have a reverse camming action on the awl 9, so as to rock the pawl lever 8 and shlft the pawl 9 from one face to the other of the double ratchet 7, at the initial part of the key lcvers stroke in each of its two opposite directions of movement, as may be readily understood from an inspection of Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Considering the shape of the teeth or op- 510 osite faces the double ratchet 7, it fol-y" ows that, n the downward motion of the stitutes a reliable two-way Y full stroke device,

-key lever 2, the awl will be riding as shown in Fig. 3 and w'l readily slip over'the teeth as long as the ke lever continues to move downward; but, the finger be removed from the key lever 2, so that it becomes subject to its retracting spring 2", then the awl 9 will engage with one of the teeth of t e forward face of the ratchet and prevent the return of the key, simply holding it there until further downward movement is imparted thereto, and to the full extreme of its downward stroke. Considering the shape of the teeth on the ratchet 7, it also follows that on the up-stroke of the key lever 2, the awl 9 will ratchet freely over the teeth as ongas the lever continues to move u ward; but, if the upwardmovement of the ey 2 be stopped at any point by the operator attempting to reverse the motion, then the pawl 9 will engage under one of the teeth on the rear face of the ratchet 7 and thereby prevent any downward motion of the key, and so act until the key is moved to the full upward limit of its upward stroke.

It will, therefore, be seen that the simple combination of parts above described confull stroke device for the key levers 2. The key lever must move to its limit in each direction of its pivotal motion before it can be reversed.

It should be further noted that the cooperating elements constituting the two-way are of such structure and somounted as to add but very little, if anything, to the required strength of the key touch. The pawl levers/.8 -are sopivoted and theircentering springs 12 are so light and so related as to make the pivotal motion, I

effected by the cainming action, from the heads of. the ratchet 7 on the pawl 9,, very easy orl'ight. j

As it may be desirable. to release the key lever 2.from the ratchet'fY; treme motion of the key lever, the pawl levers 8 are provided with u wardly"extended releasing fingers 8 by witch the awl le- .vers can be conveniently roc ed by t e operator so as to release the key lever from the pawl 9, whenever so desired.

The pawl lever hangers 10 may, of course, be secured to the framework of the typewriter in any suitable way; but as shown, the said hangers 10 are made fast toa cross bar or plate 13 which is secured to the front uprights of the typewriter frame 1. In practice, the releasing fingers 8 able one,

I 'ver supported without any exproject upward through suitable slots in a suitable shield which is applied to partially cover and protect the pawl levers 8 from being tampered with; but, for the purposes of this case, it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate this shield. 4

By actual usage I have demonstrated the efficiency of the two-way -full stroke device herein disclosed and claimed, as applied to the numeral keys of a combined typewriter and computing machine, wherein the computing mechanism was controlledv from the numeral keys of the typlewriter, and more or less of the parts of t e computer were indirectlyactuated by the numeral key levers, and, for reliability in the accuracy required of such machines, it was desirable to have the full stroke of the key levers in each direction of their pivotal movement. I

While I deem the particular combination of elements herein illustrated as a highly desirfor securingby'the sim lest means, a satisfactory two-way full stroke device, it

must be understood that the construction can be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of. the invention.

What I claim is 1-- 1. The combination with a key lever, of a two-way ratchet and a pivoted pawl cooperating with each other to require the full stroke of the key in each of tions of its pivotal movement, one of which parts is manually movable independent of the key lever, for releasing one from the on a commercial machine.

the two direcother, whenever so desired, substantially as described.

2; The combination with a suitable frame and a key lever, of a two-wa ratchet fixed to said lever, a spring-held pivoted pawl lefrom said frame engageable qpposite faces of said ratchet in the irection of the keys movement with the opposite and shiftable from one said ratchet only at the opposite extremes of said key lever s motion, lever is provided with a releasing finger for disengaging said arts, whenever so desired, substantially as escribed. e

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANS HANSON. Witnesses:

W. S. ANDREWS, H. A. ALLEN.

faceto the other ofand which pawl 

